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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29649909">Zenith</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilurianSunrise/pseuds/SilurianSunrise'>SilurianSunrise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Saint Seiya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bittersweet, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:21:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29649909</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilurianSunrise/pseuds/SilurianSunrise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aries Mu realizes he's in love with Virgo Shaka.<br/>He also realizes that Shaka loves him back. </p><p>Yet being the Virgo Saint's lover is both a blessing and a curse.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aries Mū/Virgo Shaka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sunrise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>More tags will be added once the next chapter gets posted.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Aries Mu’s fingers sank into liquid gold.</p>
<p>It felt just like the afternoon sun that bathed his whole body, warming the Aries Cloth to a nearly uncomfortable degree – but not for Mu. He craved the warmth, the light, with a quiet desperation, already mourning the sunset that would come in a few hours.</p>
<p>Virgo Shaka rested on his lap, sleeping peacefully.</p>
<p>His head rested over an armored thigh, which was probably more uncomfortable than the soft grass where the rest of his body was lying; but the Virgo Saint didn’t seem to mind the smooth metal pressed under his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>During his waking time – mostly spent in deep meditation – Shaka appeared to be as still as a statue, or some sort of spirit. Like something out of this world. But now, in his slumber, it was possible to see the slow movement of his chest rising and falling, Mu noticed. Occasionally, some part of his body would lightly twitch, and the Aries Saint would wonder what kind of thing someone like <em>him</em> would dream of.</p>
<p>Still, despite the unconsciousness, Shaka’s immense power still found a way to manifest itself.</p>
<p>The warmth emanating from his body was completely indistinguishable from the Sun’s.</p>
<p>If Mu had no idea Shaka was right there, he surely would think there was a miniature sun resting over his thigh instead… and that there was indeed molten gold pouring between his fingers. Mu moved his hand slowly, repeating a pattern, admiring each strand of Virgo’s golden hair. It felt like silk, but it radiated heat, just like every other part of his body.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>My dearest little sun.</em>
</p>
<p><em>So warm, </em><em>so close, </em><em>but so far away from me</em>...</p>
<p><em>Even now I feel so cold. </em> <em>You’re right here, but the ice still</em> <em> stin</em><em>gs</em> <em> my heart. </em> <em>S</em><em>hine your light over me, </em> <em>I </em> <em>want</em> <em> you to burn me with your radiance. I would rather be hurt by your flame than be damned to </em> <em>an</em> <em> eternal winter...</em></p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A single tear fell on the Virgo Cloth’s chest piece, breaking the peaceful silence. Luckily, Shaka himself was too lost inside his own dreams to be disturbed. The Aries Saint stopped playing with the golden hair for a moment, wiping away his own tears.</p>
<p>His <em>cold</em> tears.</p>
<p><em>Little sun, your </em> <em>platonic</em> <em> love is a cruel bliss</em>.</p>
<p><em>You already gave me so much more than I deserve, but that’s not en</em> <em>ough for me. Can you forgive my greedy heart?</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Loving Shaka wasn’t too different from loving the Sun itself.</p>
<p>They both gave Mu the gentle warmth that kept him alive, but how much did <em>Mu</em> matter to <em>them</em>?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>So loving, so </em> <em>heartless</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The icy tears were gone by the time Shaka’s eyelids fluttered. The Virgo Saint managed to control himself enough to <em>not</em> open his eyes despite having just woken up. He appeared to take a moment to remember where he was before discreetly stretching, letting out a contented sigh.</p>
<p>“For how long did I sleep?”</p>
<p>“Four hours.”</p>
<p>Shaka sat up as fast as possible, taking his precious warmth away from Mu, and the summer afternoon air hit the Aries Saint like a blizzard.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? Your legs must be hurting…”</p>
<p>“I’m alright.” <em>The cold hurts.</em> “Stay… please.”</p>
<p>“I would very much like it, but I must head back to the Virgo Temple now.”</p>
<p>Mu considered arguing with him, but deep down he knew it was useless. Not only useless, but also <em>ungrateful</em>. Shaka had just graced the Aries Saint with his presence for a few hours; what right did Mu have to ask for more?</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The blonde got up, accompanied by a dull crunching sound. Mu looked up to the source of the noise, his trained eyes immediately finding a small fracture on the Virgo Cloth’s waist. And now that he looked closer to it, he could see smaller, nearly invisible cracks scattered near it, and also on the legs – and surely the rest of the Cloth was also slightly damaged.</p>
<p>The comforting heat that naturally emanated from Shaka wasn’t always the same. During his deeper meditation states, it would increase until it felt just like fire – or even <em>hotter</em>. And during a battle, oh, it could become a blazing inferno, enough to put a solar flare to shame.</p>
<p>The constant extreme warming and cooling took its toll on the Virgo Cloth. It would always become brittle after a certain amount of use, requiring frequent repair.</p>
<p>Fixing a damaged Gold Cloth was always a daunting task, but Mu didn’t feel annoyed by the excessive work the Virgo Saint accidentally gave him – instead, he felt <em>awe</em> . How powerful a Saint had to be to damage <em>his own</em> cloth – a Gold cloth – just by wearing it for too long?</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p><em>L</em><em>ittle sun, your </em> <em>splendor</em> <em> could make the stars feel envious.</em></p>
<p><em>Can you blame me for falling in love with you? Can you blame me for wanting you </em> <em>and your radiance to be mine</em> <em>, to admire and cherish forever?</em></p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>When Shaka left, the Virgo Cloth stayed.</p>
<p>It would cool quickly without its master. Mu slowly ran his hand over the metal, feeling the lingering heat. The Cloth felt like a pale shadow of what it was when Shaka wore it, like the difference between the Moon and the Sun – but its presence was still comforting to the Aries Saint.</p>
<p>He worked nearly nonstop for several days.</p>
<p>In desperate times, Mu was capable of getting a completely shattered Cloth back to an acceptable state in a single day. But even though the Virgo Cloth wasn’t in such a horrible condition – and it was even repairing <em>itself </em>too, now that it was free from the strain Shaka’s scorching cosmos put on it – he didn’t want to rush it.</p>
<p>On the contrary, actually – Mu worked in a slower pace than he ever did. Before starting the repair, he actually finished <em>ruining</em> it a little more. Just a little pressure from his bare hands was enough to show him where the metal had been damaged despite showing no visual signs of it. Small pieces shattered under his fingers, long weakened by the extreme temperature variations. A large portion on the torso even cracked spontaneously, scaring him late in the first night.</p>
<p>He examined it closely piece by piece, with the same care a gemologist would examine a fine diamond. Despite the Cloth’s self healing properties, he didn’t want to risk leaving even a microscopic weak spot on it. Shaka deserved the best of his abilities, the most perfect work the Aries Saint could possibly achieve.</p>
<p>His eyes were tired, strained after hours and hours closely looking at the shiny metal every single day. His hands hurt, tendons also strained from crafting his masterpiece. It should be sturdier now, better able to stand Shaka’s blazing energy. Would the Virgo Saint notice it? Would he feel how much hard work, care and love had been put into it?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>My finest work.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> My gift to you.</em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>An exhausted smile graced Mu’s face.</p>
<p>The Cloth looked like it belonged to a Sun god, gold so shiny it looked like it could start radiating its own light at any moment. The Aries Saint couldn’t decide if Shaka would look gorgeous or <em>absolutely terrifying</em> with it. Both, he ended up thinking.</p>
<p>Despite feeling like he had been stalling Shaka for too long already, Mu did not feel the urge to immediately let him know the work was done. He still wasn’t done appreciating his own masterpiece – and occasionally looking closely to it just be really sure that there wasn’t anything else left to be improved. Even when he finally got over it, there was still one more thing he wanted to do before letting the Virgo Saint see his proud work.</p>
<p>Mu soundly threw himself over his bed.</p>
<p>With a mighty sigh, he buried his face on the pillow, hugging it, feeling like now he could finally truly rest. Then he let go of it, turning around, stretching for a rather long time, trying to get the muscles on his back and legs to stop feeling so cramped. And then he relaxed all of them at once, letting out a little satisfied moan.</p>
<p>Heavens, a massage would do wonders for him right now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mu was in the strange realm between sleep and wakefulness when he felt a presence approaching.</p>
<p>Part of him wanted to simply ignore it and drift to his well-deserved rest. The sun was still setting, but Aries was too tired to care about his own bedtime. But the other part of him, the same part that made him a diligent Saint, made Mu force himself out of the approaching unconsciousness.</p>
<p>Someone was standing behind the door left ajar.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Virgo Shaka respectfully turned his head away, even though his eyes were closed as usual.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I did not mean to disrespect your privacy or your rest.” Realizing there was no reprimand coming, Shaka went on. “I just wanted to check if everything is alright. It’s been some time since I don’t hear from you, and there was no response when I knocked.”</p>
<p>“It’s alright. The repairs are finished. Forgive me for taking so long to–”</p>
<p>Shaka raised a hand, and Mu fell silent.</p>
<p>“Don’t mention it. I’m not here to rush you. Take your time to rest, we can talk by the morning.”</p>
<p>Virgo was about to leave when Mu called out to him, his tired mind too fogged to properly think about what he was just doing:</p>
<p>“Wait, don’t go!”</p>
<p>Shaka stopped on his tracks, turning his head back, and only then Mu realized he actually didn’t know how to explain himself – he simply didn’t want his dear sunlight to go away so soon. The Virgo Saint broke the silence.</p>
<p>“Rest, my friend. You deserve it.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Friend?</em>
</p>
<p>“You could stay…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Only then Mu realized how fast his heart was beating. He had spent the past few days working on perfecting his gift for Shaka, exhausting himself, worrying endlessly about the result, everything for <em>him</em>. During all of that time, he thought nonstop about the Virgo Saint. And now there he was, the object of his affection, not too far from his bed, seemingly unaware of the full dimension of Mu’s struggle.</p>
<p><em>Dearest little sun, </em> <em>I have desired you for so long…</em></p>
<p><em> My heart is yours to do as you please. So why won’t you </em> <em>accept</em> <em> it…?</em></p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“I can’t give you what you want.”</p>
<p>“Shaka?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> The Sun is so warm and loving. And at the same time, so impossibly distant…</em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The Virgo Saint quietly approached, sitting at the edge of the bed. For a moment, he appeared to be staring at Mu’s now terrified expression, despite the closed eyes. And then, before Mu could react, Shaka’s lips met his in a burning kiss.</p>
<p>“This,” said Shaka, still so close that his soft breath felt like solar wind on the Aries’ Saint face.</p>
<p>And Mu loved every bit of it.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“I… I don’t understand,” said Mu, wishing Shaka could stay close like that forever. “What am I to you? Do you… love me, in the same way that I love you?”</p>
<p>Mu nearly gasped as Shaka got even closer again, and slowly nuzzled him. Aries didn’t dare to move, too afraid of accidentally doing something wrong and ruining that precious moment. Instead, he merely tried to control the tears now welling in his eyes, as Shaka’s gentle caresses brought him the most genuine joy – and also the purest despair – he ever felt in life.</p>
<p>“You are my dearest friend,” whispered Shaka, as calm as ever while Mu trembled under him. “My closest companion. The person I love more than anyone else.”</p>
<p>“I feel horrible for wanting more than that,” said Mu, in the quietest, most shameful manner he possibly could. “But I can’t control it.”</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to feel horrible or ashamed for. You’re not doing anything wrong by falling in love… but I simply can’t give you what you want.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Slowly, Shaka opened his eyes.</p>
<p>The whole room felt warmer. Mu felt small, like a man facing a god. Only then it occurred to him that Shaka was making a great effort to <em>not</em> accidentally destroy anything in the room, the sheer energy released by that simple gesture acting like a small solar storm, contained merely by Virgo’s willpower.</p>
<p>For long Mu had craved the sun’s full attention.</p>
<p>He had it now.</p>
<p>Shaka’s sky blue eyes made Mu <em>feel</em> everything the Virgo Saint wanted to tell, sparing the need for words.</p>
<p>“<em>I love you. And you love me, but not even you can comprehend what I am.</em> <em> Physical affection and carnal desire have no </em> <em>purpose</em> <em> for me, </em> <em>and I can’t pretend they do just to please you</em> <em>. You seek my human love, but I can’t give you that, for I </em> <em>walk over the line separating a human from a god</em> <em>. </em> <em>Have mercy on yourself. </em> <em>I love you more than you could understand, </em> <em>my dear, </em> <em>but this is exactly why you’ll end up heartbroken.</em>”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter to me,” Mu managed to answer, incapable of looking away as the room appeared to grow even warmer. He was caught in the solar storm, and there was no way to get out of it now. “Just… stay with me. Let me love you. That’s all I can ask from you.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be cruel to yourself.” Shaka now used his voice. It sounded nearly disembodied, as if coming <em>through</em> and not <em>from</em> his body. “Spending the rest of your life without the romantic kind of love you crave for would be torture. You can’t simply ignore your desires.”</p>
<p>“But I also can’t ignore my heart. It belongs to you now, and only you. Break it if you want, make me suffer. But don’t push me away. Please. Even if you can’t or don’t want to be my lover… don’t try to pretend we’re only friends, either. What happens between us is more complicated than that.”</p>
<p>The solar winds raging inside Shaka seemed to calm down, as he appeared to be now in a contemplative state, the overwhelming power backing down, and Mu didn’t feel as if he was about to suffocate anymore.</p>
<p>“<em>Your lover</em>,” repeated Shaka, in a low voice, sounding almost distracted by his own thoughts. “Are you willing to take me as a lover, even if this means seldom sharing a kiss, or any other romantic display of affection? Knowing that getting closer to me is, in a way… getting more distant at the same time?”</p>
<p>“Even if I could never touch you at all, I’d still want you to be mine. Shaka, even if we never share the touch of lovers… I still want us to share the intimacy, the affection, and the longing of a couple for each other.”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Time itself seemed to stop as Shaka narrowed his eyes, his gracious lips now forming a straight line, inscrutable gaze focused on Mu. Even the warmth emanating from his body seemed somehow hesitant, despite definitely still being there.</p>
<p>While the Aries Saint couldn’t guess what was going on inside of Virgo’s head, he knew that short moment was a crucial one – and that, somehow, Shaka’s judgment seemed to be slowly tipping to his favor.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“You could forget about me and have a normal romance with nearly any other Saint instead of suffering like this,” said Virgo, breaking the stillness – but his unreadable gaze remained the same.</p>
<p>“I know it.”</p>
<p>“Aldebaran is quite fond of you.”</p>
<p>At the mention of the Taurus Saint, Mu let out a pained sigh.</p>
<p>It was true. And on top of it, Mu was fully aware that the sweet Aldebaran would never bring him one tenth of the grief Shaka had put him through so far. Hell, even Cancer Deathmask – or the heartless Aquarius Camus – seemed like more sensible choices for a partner than the distant, divine Virgo did.</p>
<p>Shaka’s expression changed in a nearly imperceptible way, as he raised one eyebrow so subtly that not even himself must have noticed it. But <em>Mu</em> noticed, and to him that almost invisible change was a clear warning.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Shaka was testing his resolve one last time.</p>
<p>“I could hurt you more than any of the other Saints would be capable of.”</p>
<p>“But none of them could hope to make me as happy as you can.”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>For the first time since he had opened his eyes, Shaka appeared to lose his godly aura. Deep down, somehow, there was still some humanity buried inside his blazing heart – and Mu had just managed to reach it. That strange feeling lasted only for a second, and soon Aries found himself facing some sort of celestial creature once again, but the effect of his words would not be undone.</p>
<p>Realizing he had managed to tug Virgo’s heartstrings, Mu couldn’t contain himself, leaning forward, kissing Shaka, being blissfully intoxicated by his warmth.</p>
<p>Shaka did not kiss him back. But he tolerated it, allowing Mu to savor the experience for as long as he could, and only then Aries started to fully comprehend his warning. <em>“</em><em>I can’t give you what you want.</em> <em>Physical affection and carnal desire have no </em><em>purpose</em><em> for me, </em><em>and I can’t pretend they do just to please you.</em><em>”</em></p>
<p>“I… I’m sorry,” whispered Mu as soon as he broke the kiss. “I know I shouldn’t–”</p>
<p>Mu nearly choked on his words as Shaka gently placed two very warm hands around his face. Despite his severe words, Shaka’s eyes were full of understanding and love towards the Aries Saint, and absolutely <em>no</em> reprehension.</p>
<p>“I understand it,” he spoke softly, caressing Mu’s pale face. “We’ll talk about my boundaries later.”</p>
<p>“May I just ask you… why? I just want to understand you better. Do you simply dislike being touched, or…?”</p>
<p>“I refrain from carnal pleasure for the same reason I keep my eyes closed. But while I may still open my eyes on occasion, I have not broken my vow of celibacy yet. And I have no plans to do so.” One of Shaka’s hands slowly trailed down to Mu’s mouth, his slender fingers delicately caressing Aries’ lips. “I fear surrendering to your kisses might cause me to be overwhelmed by temptation.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It hadn’t occurred to Mu so far that even Shaka wasn’t above basic feelings such as lust – well, he <em>was</em> , considering how well he managed to ignore said feelings during his whole life – but the fact that these thoughts were something Virgo had to actively <em>fight against</em> hit Aries like a punch in the guts.</p>
<p>He gingerly retreated from Shaka’s warm touch, as much as it pained him to do so.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to lead you astray…”</p>
<p>“You won’t.” After a brief pause, Virgo added: “Even if someone <em>does</em> lead me astray, I’d rather it be you instead of anyone else. Come closer. Kiss me again. I can tell you want it.”</p>
<p>“But you just said--”</p>
<p>“I can handle it for now… but I’m warning you to <em>not</em> get used to this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mu couldn’t tell if that comforting, delicious warm feeling inside his chest was a result of Shaka’s power, or his own love flooding his soul. Both, perhaps, as only then Aries remembered it was night already – but Virgo’s radiance made it seem and feel like his room was bathed under the high noon sun.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>My dearest little sun…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank you for blessing me with your light.</em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The Aries Saint took his time to admire Shaka’s ethereal beauty before finally obeying his command, slowly, appreciating how even the air grew hotter the closer he got to the blonde Saint. Though that kiss was rather timid, Mu felt as if Shaka’s warmth invited him. He couldn’t resist its call, going for another one, and this time Virgo’s lips slowly parted, allowing Mu to deepen the kiss.</p>
<p>Mu wasn’t sure to what extent Shaka was fine with being touched, and so, he settled for merely holding one of his hands. He briefly backed away, studying Shaka’s reaction before closing the distance between their lips once again, and this time the Aries Saint was surprised to feel Virgo’s tongue entering his mouth, and how hot it felt – almost burning, but still pleasant in a strange way.</p>
<p>Shaka’s touch was also hot as one of his hands slowly reached for Mu’s side, in a tender caress that then moved down to his thigh, making the Aries Saint unconsciously move closer to him. Shaka’s grip tightened deliciously as Mu sucked on his tongue – until, to his absolute surprise, the Virgo Saint suddenly pushed him away.</p>
<p>Before he could even ask what happened, the blonde answered it.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t expecting it to feel this good.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mu didn’t dare to interrupt as Shaka took a moment to recompose himself, and the room felt slightly cooler, thought it was still as pleasant as if under the light of the afternoon sun.</p>
<p>“Did I do something wrong?”</p>
<p>“No,” whispered Shaka, gently nuzzling his face again. “Absolutely not. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist the temptation if I taste your kisses once again.”</p>
<p>Aries shuddered as Shaka sweetly kissed his neck, over and over again, slowly trailing down to his collarbone. He closed his eyes, immediately surrendering under Virgo’s uncharacteristic behavior, wrapping his fingers around a handful of golden hair as the feel of Shaka’s delicate breath and the pressure of his sultry lips over the sensitive skin made Mu feel as high as a drug would do.</p>
<p>As much as he would enjoy simply waiting to see how far Shaka would go with that, Mu’s responsible nature forced him to snap out of the pleasant stupor.</p>
<p>“Shaka,” he said, reluctantly holding the other back – only to have the palm of his hand covered in little kisses instead. “Your celibacy vow…”</p>
<p>“I know, I know.” Shaka seemed completely unfazed. “I’m not going to break it, my dear. I can’t give you what you want… but it would be cruel to not give you <em>anything</em>.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Virgo’s thought process was often far too strange – or, to be more specific, too <em>enlightened</em> – to be understood by his fellow Saints. And yet, in the end it always became clear Shaka knew what he was doing all along, and everything would click for them, “<em>mere mortals</em>”, as Mu once heard a Silver Saint saying it.</p>
<p>Deciding it would be easier to simply <em>not</em> try to understand Shaka’s plan, and merely wait to see it unfold instead, the Aries Saint relaxed – but not for long, as what Shaka said next made him nearly forget to keep breathing.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“Do you want me to masturbate you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shaka…?”</p>
<p>“There’s not much I can do to pleasure you. But I imagine that’s still better than just doing it yourself.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to do this. Shaka, I told you, even if I couldn’t even touch you at all--”</p>
<p>The Virgo Saint put a finger over Mu’s lips, silencing him.</p>
<p>“Just once,” he said, “and then you’ll have to suffer for desiring me for the rest of our time together. Unless you wish to start suffering right now.”</p>
<p>Mu could see what Shaka was trying to point out. And while Aries would be more than happy to spend the rest of his life, if needed, without any sort of human touch for <em>Shaka’s</em> sake – to deserve keeping him as a lover, even if just in title – he couldn’t deny that the thought of it was… daunting. A daunting quest he’d gladly endure for Shaka’s happiness, if his celibacy was so important, but he was still allowed to fear it, wasn’t he?</p>
<p>A particular thing Virgo said before came back to his mind.</p>
<p>“<em>G</em><em>etting closer to me is, in a way… getting more distant at the same time</em>.”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“If that’s what <em>you</em> want too,” Mu said, holding Shaka’s hand, wishing he could enjoy that nearly scorching touch forever, dreading how cold he’d feel eventually. “I’ll be glad to let you do anything to me.”</p>
<p>“Anything, really?”</p>
<p>The way Mu had been lazily lying down so far had given Shaka just enough leeway to force one his thighs between Aries’ slightly open legs, further spreading them – and apply just enough pressure under Mu’s groin to remind – and make him <em>too </em> <em>much</em> aware – of how hard he was.</p>
<p>The blazing warmth from Shaka’s body soon made itself known, and while Mu’s arousal had been negligible so far, the heat quickly made him desire something more.</p>
<p>And then Shaka embraced him, surrounding his whole body with that delicious heat, hair cascading over Mu like molten gold, slender hands slowly, sweetly massaging his body. And for a long while all Mu could do was hold him too, all of his senses overwhelmed by the closeness of his beloved little sun, feeling his heartbeat increase with both love and lust.</p>
<p>He couldn’t hold back a moan as Shaka suddenly moved his hips, still pressing against Aries’ body, softly grinding against his crotch – but only for long enough to leave Mu needing more of it.</p>
<p>“Try grinding against my thigh,” Shaka whispered, so close that his lips brushed against Mu’s neck as he spoke, the feel of his hot breath making the Aries Saint shudder. “I must abstain from pleasure, so you’ll have to get creative using my body.”</p>
<p>“Shaka, are you really going to be okay with this?”</p>
<p>Virgo hastily agreed, but his gaze was unreadable as he watched Mu accepting his suggestion, and Aries now slowly moved his hips against Shaka’s thigh. Mu held on Shaka’s waist for support, unaware of how provoking his strong grip felt for the other.</p>
<p>To further test Virgo’s willpower, he could feel about how big was Aries’ cock. Enough to make him blush, as Mu pressed harder on him – and the blonde unconsciously leaned in closer, wishing for more of it.</p>
<p>As they were both still fully clothed, merely grinding against Shaka provided more teasing than actual relief – but the Aries Saint went on, rather enjoying the unique feeling of the soft fabric between them. It felt like a very, very light caress… He let out a sharp breath through his mouth, both in pleasure and frustration.</p>
<p>He stopped, confused, as soon as Shaka shortly struggled to remove his thigh from between his legs. Before Mu could question what was wrong, a warm hand slipped under his pants and underwear, gently gripping his cock, feeling its length, making the Aries Saint bit his lip as he desired more.</p>
<p>“May I?” asked Shaka, then slightly pulling down his pants.</p>
<p>Mu’s answer was to help him finish taking them off – and Shaka decided to remove his shirt too, to which Aries also quietly complied. Yet, even after that, the Virgo Saint still looked at Mu as if he expected something.</p>
<p>“Shaka?”</p>
<p>“Your hair,” he said, calm as ever. “Untie it.”</p>
<p>For a very brief moment, Mu merely stared back at him, trying to make sense of the strange request – despite desperately wishing to simply comply and move on already, and get some much needed release.</p>
<p>He reached back without even looking away, swiftly finding and removing the brown tie. Weirdly enough, only <em>now</em> he felt truly naked – after all, he didn’t feel truly dressed unless his rather unruly hair had been dealt with. He felt… <em>exposed</em>, and only then he realized that was exactly what Shaka had wanted.</p>
<p>The Virgo Saint gazed lovingly at him, admiring Mu’s raw beauty. <em>Especially</em> the look in his eyes. He could tell how vulnerable, how embarrassed Mu felt at that moment, and yet he still trusted Shaka enough to stay perfectly still under his gaze.</p>
<p>“How beautiful you are,” Shaka whispered, placing a very warm kiss on Aries’ face. The comment and gesture distracted Mu so much that he almost gasped as he felt an even warmer hand once again on his member. “And how lucky I am to have you all for myself now.”</p>
<p>Mu couldn’t even think of an answer, closing his eyes, too focused on the heavenly feeling of Shaka now starting to move his hand up and down. He felt another kiss, now on his neck, and leaned his head back on the pillow, holding back a moan.</p>
<p>Shaka’s movements were rather insecure at the start, but he was managing to set a nice, steady rhythm.</p>
<p>“Is this alright?” he asked, paying close attention to Mu’s reaction.</p>
<p>“Yes,” the Aries Saint answered, his voice breathy. “Don’t stop it… please.”</p>
<p>As Shaka kissed his neck again, now slow and firm, Mu’s hand reached for the back of his head, fingers running between the golden hair, petting him. His touch was nearly desperate, as he wanted to bring Shaka closer, but couldn’t bring himself to pull his beloved so rudely.</p>
<p>Shaka placed one last kiss on Mu’s soft lips – as if fearing to get carried away as he almost did not so long ago – and then he sat up, turning his full attention to his other task instead.</p>
<p>His hand was getting slick with Mu’s precum. The Aries Saint noticed that Virgo now watched him with attention, his strokes getting swifter, causing Aries’ own breathing to also get faster, his moans not so quiet anymore.</p>
<p>Virgo’s own erection almost hurt. Biting down his lower lip, he steeled himself to ignore it, focusing on the sight of his lover instead – but that only intensified the throbbing feel in his groin.</p>
<p>Despite pleasure nearly overwhelming the rest of his senses, even Mu could notice the turmoil Shaka was going through. He watched the Virgo saint licking his lips, then pursing them together, looking down eagerly as if he wanted to find another way to keep his mouth busy… or as if he could at any moment forget about all decorum and just fuck Mu already.</p>
<p>And then he stopped stroking Aries, leaning over the other Saint instead, pining him down with that same dangerous, hungry glint in his eyes. Molten gold poured over Mu once again, but even that seemed dull and cold compared to the fire in Virgo’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Give me your hand.”</p>
<p>Mu wanted to beg him to keep going instead, but he still chose to trust Shaka’s judgment. He watched astonished as Shaka grabbed his wrist… and started shamelessly sucking on his middle and ring fingers. The look on Mu’s face seemed to amuse him, and encourage him to go even further, kissing, brushing his lips, and then licking Aries’ fingers as if he was actually pretending to give him a blowjob.</p>
<p>And stars, how much Mu <em>wished</em> to feel those wonderful lips and that hot tongue on his dick.</p>
<p>Before the Aries Saint could even consider asking for it, though, – would Shaka even be okay with that? – Virgo stopped his teasing act as quickly as he had started it.</p>
<p>“Now,” he said, “spread your legs. I want you to finger yourself.”</p>
<p>Mu made sure Shaka would have a good view of it as he obeyed, not wasting a second to start slowly introducing one finger inside his own tight hole. While he’d rather have some real lube instead of saliva to do it, the thought of how <em>perverted</em> it felt to use Shaka’s spit instead made him soon change his mind.</p>
<p>As soon as he felt ready for it, Mu also slipped the ring finger inside.</p>
<p>He now made no effort to contain his moans – though he was still naturally quiet, and sounded rather adorable despite how scandalous it felt for himself. Mu was already used to that feeling, after so many nights all alone, thinking about Shaka… but simply having him <em>there</em> during that moment, watching it all, made it so much better.</p>
<p>Still, Mu would be lying if he said he didn’t want to have something far bigger than his own delicate fingers inside.</p>
<p>Shaka leaned down, kissing his lips, but not daring to go further than that.</p>
<p>The Aries Saint gasped as he felt Virgo’s warm hand once again on his cock, his touch soft yet firm at the same time as he started stroking it again. Mu closed his eyes, having to concentrate to keep moving his own hand, his body not used to this much stimulation – but loving every second of it. He went faster, <em>harder</em>, getting carried away by his own imagination, by the thought of Shaka fucking him senseless.</p>
<p>His free hand rested over Virgo’s back as if Mu was afraid he’d somehow try to leave, unconsciously trying to bring him closer.</p>
<p>“Shaka,” he cried out, grip tightening on a handful of golden hair. “Ah, Shaka--”</p>
<p>Mu moved his hand a little faster before stopping completely as he came. Just like his moans, there was almost no sound as the Aries Saint panted, not taking too long to regain – most – control of his own breath. Shaka was so quiet that if it wasn’t for the warmth and the blazing cosmos always radiating from him, Mu would think he had somehow disappeared from the room during that short while.</p>
<p>Aries looked up, nearly worried for a moment – only to find Shaka looking down at him with a loving smile.</p>
<p>Mu cowered under his gaze, ashamed of how disheveled he probably looked at that moment. Especially considering how Shaka was still perfectly put together – if one could ignore how Mu had spilled on his hand, a little. At that moment, the difference between both of them felt… abysmal. Simply <em>abysmal</em>.</p>
<p>The man closest to God was looking sweetly at the one who completely surrendered to his own lust.</p>
<p>Divinity looked sweetly at unconstrained, primal instinct.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Shaka used his clean hand to caress Mu’s face. The Aries Saint gathered the courage to look into his eyes once again. How could he possibly be fine with what they had just done?</p>
<p>“You’re so beautiful,” said Shaka, with nothing but genuine love in his gaze. “More than anything else I have ever seen.”</p>
<p>“Right <em>now</em>?”</p>
<p>“Especially right now.”</p>
<p>Mu wanted to question him, and not only about that last statement. But he decided to leave that for later, instead of risking ruining that precious moment. Besides, Shaka’s apparent adoration for him in his eyes and voice didn’t leave much room for questioning anything.</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” the Virgo Saint said, almost as if reading his mind, now running a hand through his messy hair. “We did something wonderful. But you really shouldn't get used to this... Please.”</p>
<p>“But what about you?”</p>
<p>Despite the apparent tranquility, deep down Shaka seemed rather tense – in such a subtle way that not even Mu would have noticed it, if they hadn’t already grown so intimate during that night. But the cause for it was obvious, as Virgo was clearly still hard, in a sexy yet uncomfortable-looking sight. Shaka closed his eyes – and kept them that way – and the temperature in the room dropped noticeably, though Virgo’s mere presence wouldn’t allow it to get even a little cold.</p>
<p>“I will be fine.”</p>
<p>“Shaka…”</p>
<p>The Virgo Saint leaned down, kissing Mu’s forehead.</p>
<p>“Don’t think about it. Now, tell me, would you like to have a bath with me?”</p>
<p>Mu’s smile was small, but his eyes showed such fondness for Shaka that it was the sweetest expression that ever graced his pale face.</p>
<p>“I’d love it.”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The water was slightly cold, as Shaka preferred it. The warmth emanating from his body had been reduced to embers after such an intense experience with the Aries Saint, especially thanks to the strain of trying to purge his own lustful thoughts.</p>
<p>But said embers would soon ignite once again, brighter than ever once he recomposed himself.</p>
<p>His body was still comfortingly hot, as Mu didn’t take long to find out, much to his enjoyment. The Aries Saint closed his eyes, leaning back against Shaka, letting out a pleased sigh. He was already impeccably clean – mostly thanks to Virgo’s eagerness to help him bathe – but neither of them felt like leaving the cozy wooden tub. Not yet.</p>
<p>“You’re going to fall asleep if you stay like that,” said Shaka, still massaging Mu’s body. Mu didn’t even move, too relaxed to even care about it. “And you’re going to get your hair wet.”</p>
<p>The lazy bun Mu had put his hair in was indeed falling apart. He quickly sat up properly, managing to hold it just in time, and then he fumbled with the purple hair – despite knowing there was no hope to fix it, especially with his hands wet. He turned his head back, looking at Shaka, who had been smart enough to stay close to the border and let his own blonde locks cascading outside.</p>
<p>“How could you tell it when your eyes are closed?”</p>
<p>“I simply assumed it,” Virgo said, leaning forward to kiss the back of Mu’s neck, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. “I can tell how exhausted you are, my dear. Let’s get out. I’ve been delaying your sleep for long enough now.”</p>
<p>“Ah, but your company is so much better than sleep…”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>There was no way to argue with Shaka – and to be fair, he was right to insist Mu <em>had</em> to rest. As much as Virgo’s visit had been a delight, it couldn’t get rid of Mu’s exhaustion from work… and from all of the pleasant surprises that followed after the day was over.</p>
<p>Still, there was one thing bothering him.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”</p>
<p>“I <em>do</em> want to stay,” said Shaka, nuzzling the Aries Saint as they cuddled on bed. One of his legs was resting over Mu’s, as if he felt like he still wasn’t <em>close</em> <em>enough</em> to the other man. “But I should go. I… I need to go back to my meditation.”</p>
<p>Shaka bit his lip, and Mu could feel how truly unwilling he was to leave.</p>
<p>And yet, he would do it anyways.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Shaka whispered.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Mu caressed his face, wishing Shaka would open his eyes once again only so Aries could hope to better read his emotions. They had been so close during that night, and still… it felt like Shaka was somehow slipping away from him. Back to his distant, divine place away from the regular mortals. “You know you can tell me anything, right, Shaka?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” he smiled. It was a genuine smile, but it seemed pained at the same time. “I simply can’t handle staying here with you. Not tonight, at least.”</p>
<p>Before Mu could even ask anything else, Shaka answered him.</p>
<p>“I have never desired anyone as much as I desire you right now. I’ve been in love with you for a long time, but… I had no idea I’d love you in <em>this</em> way, too. I’ve had a fair share of lustful thoughts before , but nothing like <em>this</em>. It’s so different. So much stronger. Spending the whole night so close to you sounds… truly wonderful, but too daunting right now.”</p>
<p>For a moment all Mu could do was stare blankly at nothing in particular in his room, as he digested Shaka’s words. His grip on the other’s arm tightened, without him even realizing it – feeling horrible for Shaka, but still seeking comfort in him. The warmth surrounding him felt delicate, frail somehow.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My dearest little sun.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Was I only hurting you all along…? </em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“It’s my fault.”</p>
<p>“Possibly. And I’ll be forever thankful for what you have done.”</p>
<p>“What… why? You were doing so well on your own, and now… I just brought you trouble, didn’t I?”</p>
<p>Shaka gently turned Mu’s face towards him, and the Aries Saint was almost startled to see he had opened his eyes again. It wasn’t nearly as intense as the first time he did it, probably because not much time had passed since then. But whatever thoughts Mu had about Shaka’s warmth feeling “frail” and “delicate” were completely obliterated by the oppressive summer sun cosmos that quickly engulfed them both.</p>
<p>“Do you doubt my strength?”</p>
<p>Mu’s eyes widened, as for a brief second he feared being incinerated on the spot, despite knowing very well Shaka would never harm him. Even so, simply being near such overwhelming power would probably make <em> anyone </em> doubt their safety for a moment.</p>
<p>“Of course not!”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stars above, Shaka, if you wanted to, you could very well obliterate the entire Aries Temple without even getting out of this bed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> And probably vaporize even my bones in the process… </em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>“Then stop feeling sorry for me, and stop blaming yourself for whatever you <em>think</em> you are doing wrong. You’re not hurting me. This is… difficult, yes, but I can handle it.” His tone was rather harsh, perhaps partially as an effect of the torrid cosmos filling the room. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added:</p>
<p>“Just like I trust you to handle what <em>you’ll</em> face in our relationship, because you convinced me you’re willing to do it. Unless you’re having second thoughts about this?”</p>
<p>“Never.”</p>
<p>Shaka’s gaze softened, his face not hiding how much that answer pleased him.</p>
<p>“Whatever troubles I might have because of our time together are <em>nothing</em> compared to the happiness you brought me today.”</p>
<p>Mu smiled.</p>
<p>“I could say the same to you, Shaka.”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The Virgo Saint took a moment to appreciate Mu’s adoring gaze one last time before closing his eyes once again, sinking into the darkness. The blazing power escaping from his cosmos was cut off, its leftovers dissipating slowly like remains of a fire, and only then it felt like it was still night once again.</p>
<p>Until there was nothing left but the soothing heat that embraced Mu just like Shaka himself did.</p>
<p>The Aries Saint leaned closer to him, wishing they could stay like that forever. Just like Shaka probably also did, considering he still didn’t move despite being so clear about needing to leave. Instead of worrying about when he would go away, Mu chose to simply stop thinking about anything and just enjoy how his embrace felt… like being bathed under the gentle morning sun.</p>
<p>Shaka slowly stroked his hair, brushing it with his fingers through all of its length.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>My little sun…</em>
</p>
<p>“I love you…”</p>
<p>
  <em>So, so much.</em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>The hand stroking his hair made a brief pause. Mu, half asleep, hadn’t even realized he had said something until Shaka answered it.</p>
<p>“I love you too, my dear.”</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Maybe Mu heard it, or maybe not, not even the Aries Saint himself could tell. But even if he didn’t, he surely <em>felt</em> it on that tender embrace, and on that sweet slow caress. And he still felt that love even when he couldn’t tell anymore what exactly was Shaka’s real touch, and what was just the warmth from his cosmos surrounding his body. Both things slowly blended together, more and more the closer Mu got to unconsciousness.</p>
<p>Until there was nothing but the warmth left, sunlight flooding everything. Instead of darkness, Mu found himself diving into the light as he finally drifted off to peaceful sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And light was the first thing he saw as he opened his eyes once again.</p>
<p>It was the morning sunlight greeting him from under the closed door, eagerly flooding the small space, trying to reach into his bedroom as far as it could despite already having lost so much of its radiance inside the temple. Shaka was gone – he must have left once Mu fell asleep – but not all of his warmth was lost.</p>
<p>A soft blanket had been carefully placed over the Aries Saint.</p>
<p>It was summer, and yet Shaka had figured out Mu would enjoy – <em>need</em> – it during the sunless hours.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Shaka…</em>
</p>
<p>Thinking about his beloved Gold Saint made him inevitably remember the Cloth at some point.</p>
<p>
  <em>The Cloth!</em>
</p>
<p>Mu nearly sprung out of bed. His job wasn’t really done until the Cloth left under his care was returned to its rightful owner.</p>
<p>Not much later, he was already marching out of the Aries Temple, bathed in the light, eager to finish his work.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Eager to greet his precious sun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sunset</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The second chapter got much longer than intended, so I decided to break it down. So now there will be another chapter (and hopefully no more) after this one.<br/>Also, tags were updated.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Sun shone brightly above the Sanctuary, having just reached zenith – the highest point of the sky.</p><p>The light poured over the land, tender, comforting, like a hug from the skies. There were no clouds in sight, and so, the star reigned alone in the bright blue sky. Somehow, it seemed proud of its own blazing glory, like a living being, eager to share its own life and warmth with everything it touched.</p><p>Below, the soil was still humid from the unrelenting rain Poseidon had caused not so long ago.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Even after the rain ended, it still took a few days for the clouds to go away and allow the Sun to peek through them. Only now, a full week later, the skies were fully clear over the Sanctuary, and the cold weather caused by the sunless days was finally over. It should be a time to celebrate – a crisis had started, but it had <em>ended</em> already, all thanks to the Bronze Saints.</p><p>Athena was safe, the world was safe. Poseidon was asleep, and even <em>he</em> and his host were safe and sound too.</p><p>And the day was bright and warm once again, just the way Aries Mu had so desperately waited for during all of that rain, while praying for it to be over soon.</p><p> </p><p>Yet something felt wrong. <em>Disturbingly</em> wrong.</p><p>And it wasn’t only because of the distant, approaching battle that Athena’s Saints would face eventually, that Mu’s intuition made him painfully aware of. There was something else, something even worse than the prospect of facing an entire war – but what <em>exactly</em> was it was what troubled Mu.</p><p>His strong intuition told him to worry, but this time it failed to tell him <em>why</em>.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At least there was still <em>one</em> thing – or rather, <em>someone</em> – left capable of bringing him comfort, even if just for a while.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you’re not busy, my little sun.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> I need you. Right now.</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ever since that night where they shared their first kiss, Mu and Shaka had grown so much closer – in all manners, except in the sexual one. The Aries Saint would never complain about that part, despite his desire for Shaka still being as overwhelming as ever. The other kinds of intimacy they shared were more than enough to make him happy, and to Mu, neglecting his own physical desires was a very small price to pay for Virgo’s love.</p><p>And just like Shaka had warned the Aries Saint back then, they seldom shared a kiss. <em>That</em> was the hardest part for Mu. It made their rare kisses feel even more special, but still, there weren’t enough words in existence to describe how much Mu craved more.</p><p>But right  at that moment, Mu wasn’t craving kisses.</p><p>He craved  <em>solace</em>.</p><p>Simply being near Shaka, feeling his powerful, radiant cosmos was enough to make Mu feel like everything would be alright. Besides, the pleasant company would help taking his mind off the not-so-pleasant thoughts that wouldn’t leave him alone lately.</p><p>Maybe they could even meditate together. Shaka always seemed flattered – sometimes, to the point where he would blush – when Mu asked for his permission to do so…</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> What’s happening to me?</em>
</p><p>
  <em> This can’t be all inside of my head. There’s something wrong. Something bad is about to happen, but I don’t know what is it, I don’t know…</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shaka, can you hug me? Can you hug me tight and tell me everything will be fine?</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As he briskly headed up to the Virgo Temple, Mu tried to find some comfort in the sunlight that bathed him – and the entire land as far as his eyes could see. Despite Mu’s near constant nervousness, the Sun managed to bring a small smile to his face, along with pleasant memories of his time spent with the Virgo Saint. Memories of pleasant mornings, meditating together under the soft light. Memories of afternoons cuddling together on a grassy field, talking, laughing, sometimes ending with one of them asleep on the other’s lap…</p><p>The light felt just like Shaka’s cosmos… on a much larger scale.</p><p>The Sun had triumphed over Poseidon’s rain. It surely would also triumph over the battle that would come next, right?</p><p> </p><p><em>The Sun will. But maybe </em> we <em> won’t.</em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Briefly shaking his head, unconsciously trying to get those morbid thoughts away from his mind, Mu increased his pace, metal shoes tapping loudly over the stone steps. He wasn’t too fond of wearing his Cloth all the time, as it felt like abusing it, but lately <em>not</em> wearing it felt like a risk he shouldn’t take – just like what every single other Gold Saint appeared to think too, as currently they all saw fit to stay armored nearly permanently.</p><p>No one questioned the Aries Saint as he followed his path. He felt no threat nearby – except that now constant sense of danger slowly approaching, like distant storm clouds – and so, the Aries Temple should be fine without his supervision for a while. If he focused, Mu could feel even the presence of the most distant Saints, far away from his sight, and so he was certain he would feel the presence of any unwanted visitors in the Sanctuary, too.</p><p>With each step upwards, he could feel Shaka’s cosmos growing more intense. Taking a moment to concentrate on it, taking in the familiar radiance, Mu could tell Virgo was meditating at the moment. His cosmos felt warmer than usual, but also <em>distant</em>, as his focus was somewhere far, far away… Aries relaxed a little, proud of himself for knowing his lover well enough to be able to tell it.</p><p>But there was more to it, too.</p><p>In a way, Shaka seemed… agitated. It was subtle, but Mu knew his true resting state well enough to tell the difference. Shaka’s cosmos felt like the Sun itself.</p><p>And right now, Mu felt as if it was full of <em>solar flares</em>. Small sparks of energy broke out from the Virgo Saint’s control, betraying the calm, composed appearance he was trying to keep, as if to warn that a true solar storm was brewing deep inside his cosmos.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>If Mu still had any doubt left that there was indeed something wrong, now it was gone.</p><p> </p><p>He nearly ran through the remaining distance between him and the Virgo Temple, the apprehension kicking again. Mu didn’t even bother to behold the sight of the impressive temple before him, as he often did, entering that near sacred place without thinking twice about it.</p><p>The long white corridor would feel serene if it wasn’t for the noticeable increase in temperature, getting more intense the further he walked in. The place was still intimidating, though, as Shaka’s raw power seemed to permeate the stone walls and columns. Said power also radiated from deep inside the Temple, making Virgo’s presence clear, filling even the air with his energy.</p><p>And heavens, how searing it felt.</p><p>That was no normal meditation. Shaka was still nowhere to be seen, and the corridor was already uncomfortably hot. Mu almost considered turning back and returning later, wondering if he would end up baked inside the Aries Cloth if he dared to approach more. But he pressed on, his mind briefly wandering, asking himself how the hell that Bronze Saint, Ikki, had managed to get out of that place alive.</p><p>If that was Shaka’s power, and Ikki had managed to best him…</p><p>Mu silently thanked the gods for not being the one who had to fight that young man.</p><p>Only then something clicked to him. Why some pillars of the Virgo Temple – and even small sections of the ceiling stone – seemed… deformed, and even bent out of shape. They had been partially <em>melted</em>. Melted! And Mu sensed that most of the damage wasn’t <em>Shaka’s</em> doing…</p><p> </p><p>His thoughts were cut short when he finally spotted his lover, sitting down in that familiar manner during his deep meditation. If Shaka had noticed Mu’s presence, he didn’t show any signs of it, staying as still as ever, even his slow breathing being almost imperceptible. A faint golden aura surrounded him, wavering, but never fading.</p><p>His silky hair flowed despite the air being still deep inside of the temple, as if blown by solar winds that only affected Shaka, and Mu couldn’t stop himself from admiring that sight. He was used to it, used to the idea that this gorgeous man was now his lover, and yet Mu always felt like he was falling in love all over again every time they met.</p><p>Despite how eager he had been to see Virgo, Aries now was worried. Shaka was still undisturbed, perhaps ignoring Mu on purpose. Trying to get his attention felt like a disrespectful thing to do… Usually, Shaka would come back to reality on his own the second Mu had stepped inside of his temple – so now either he couldn’t, or didn’t <em>want</em> to do it.</p><p>Mu took a step forward, flinching as the low clanking of the Aries Cloth felt as scandalous as a whole marching band compared to the silence of the temple.</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>What was I thinking?</em>
</p><p><em> I wanted to see my </em>lover<em>, and forgot that </em><em>this </em><em>would mean disturbing a </em>Saint.</p><p> </p><p>He could wait, but there was no way to know when Shaka would be done with his thing. And the Virgo Temple was unbearably hot, to the point where it would probably be dangerous to stay there for too long. Mu almost considered slapping himself, realizing he should have just stayed in his place and waited for Shaka to come to him, instead.</p><p>He turned around, trying to not make too much noise with his heavy shoes.</p><p> </p><p>He should be watching over the Aries Temple, anyways.</p><p>
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</p><p>“I don’t like having my meditation interrupted without a good reason, Aries Mu.”</p><p>The Aries Saint froze in place,even keeping a foot still in the air, petrified by fear. Fantastic. He managed to disturb Shaka just as he was about to leave in order to <em>not</em> disturb him. Mu slowly set his foot down with a metallic clicking sound, not daring to look back, trying to find a way to explain himself.</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>Do I even have a good reason to be here? I just wanted to see you, my little sun. </em>
</p><p><em>Stars, I’m so </em> <em>petty and stupid for troubling you for such a reason.</em></p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” was all Mu managed to say. What did it matter what he was thinking? Shaka had every right to be upset. “I knew I would disturb, but…”</p><p>“If you came all the way up here only to get inside of this temple, do some noise to break my concentration, and then immediately leave, you’ll have to apologize to me better than this.”</p><p>Mu had to hold back the urge to teleport away – to immediately hide from the unbearable shame of being scolded by Shaka. Instead, Mu forced himself to do the right thing and turned to face the Virgo Saint, and accept whatever further scolding he deserved. He pursed his lips, feeling his mouth get dry.</p><p>Should he kneel down and beg for forgiveness <em>now</em>, or should he wait for Shaka to finish talking?</p><p>“But,” the Virgo Saint went on, “if you actually came here to make me company, then there is no need to apologize.” A small, almost playful smile graced his face. “I missed you, my dear.”</p><p>It took Mu a moment to realize Shaka was <em>not</em> upset – or, at least, he <em>wouldn’t be</em> if Mu stayed there. It took him another moment to remember to breathe again, and Shaka got up as the Aries Saint was still catching his breath.</p><p>“You seem nervous,” said Shaka. He approached and placed his hands on the golden horns over Mu’s shoulders. That gesture always felt incredibly intimate to Mu. Maybe because of how confident Virgo was touching those sharp things, or maybe because, well, grabbing a ram by the horns – even a <em>symbolic</em> ram – was a rather bold move. “Is there any particular reason for your visit, my little sunflower?”</p><p>“I missed you too, Shaka. I just wanted to see you again.”</p><p>Mu’s eyes widened as Shaka unceremoniously pulled on the horns, bringing the Aries Saint so close that they could kiss if they wanted to. And only then he realized that the gesture felt so intimate because it felt <em>vulnerable</em>. Controlling the horns was the same as controlling his body.</p><p>“Do you mind it when I do this?” asked Shaka, lightly pulling on the horns again.</p><p>“No,” Mu confessed. If he had to be truly honest, he’d have to say he <em>liked</em> it.</p><p>Shaka finished pulling him, forcing Mu to close the remaining distance between them, and their lips met on an almost painfully warm kiss.</p><p>
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</p><p>Mu wasn’t expecting to have <em>that</em> much luck today.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re tense,” said Shaka, as soon as they parted. He briefly caressed the gold horns, still not daring to place his scorching hands on Mu himself. “How about I prepare some tea for you, and then you tell me what’s wrong?”</p><p>“If it’s not too much trouble… I’d love it.”</p><p> </p><p>The Virgo Temple had a pleasant temperature by the time the tea was done. The effect of Shaka’s blazing cosmos was slowly dissipating from the stone and the air – and dissipating even faster from the Virgo Cloth. The metal made loud noises as the heat dilation faded, and Mu noticed, with great pride, that there were no new cracks despite how much the sounds made him fear they would appear.</p><p>That was indeed his masterpiece.</p><p>“You did a wonderful job with the Virgo Cloth,” said Shaka, sitting down by Mu’s side and serving both of them. “I think I never got to properly thank you for it.”</p><p>“It was my pleasure,” Mu smiled. “This is my finest work… if anything, I should be the one thanking you for letting me do this.”</p><p>He turned his attention to his own cup of tea, focusing on its scent. It smelled like…</p><p>“Jasmine tea?” Shaka nodded. “Thank you, Shaka. It’s my favorite.”</p><p>“I know it,” smiled Shaka. “It’s not as good as the tea you prepare, though. You’re a man of many talents, Mu.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Shaka’s quarters were somehow even more cramped than Mu’s own, the Aries Saint thought. While any Saint had only the simplest, smallest possible accommodations – as the temples weren’t meant for permanent occupation – the Virgo Temple was especially lacking in personal space. All the Virgo Saint had was a single bedroom that doubled as a kitchen, a relatively spacious bathroom, and apparently, a garden deep inside of the temple. But still, the whole place felt incredibly cozy.</p><p>Maybe it had to do with the decoration. Mu liked to keep his own furniture sparse, keeping nothing but the very basic stuff – and a few books to not lose his mind in that isolated place, whenever he had to stay there for long amounts of time. Shaka, on the other hand… he was far from being a <em>hoarder</em>, but he kept a fascinating amount of beautiful old trinkets in his place.</p><p>He even went as far as to hang wind chimes… <em>somewhere</em>. They weren’t outside, or clearly Mu would have seen them at some point. Maybe those delicate metal sounds came from the garden?</p><p>Meanwhile, Shaka’s bed was nothing but that simple red mattress on the floor, covered by colorful hand-knitted blankets, every single one of them featuring warm colors and complex patterns, from light yellow to deep crimson.</p><p>Despite the small size, that little room felt very comfortable, actually. It was cozy and welcoming, and it smelled like multiple incenses and herbs. There appeared to be also a faint smell of <em>weed</em>, but Mu chose to pretend he didn’t notice it. Shaka’s colorful old trinkets – such as incense holders and antique vases – made everything seem warm, interesting, even <em>magical</em>. There were  dark red and worn gold colors everywhere, intensified by the light of several intricate, colorful lampshades,  and stained glass candle holders.</p><p>All sorts of crystals and common gemstones were scattered all over the room, seemingly chosen and placed with great care, and Mu could only wonder about their purpose. A massive tapestry covered the entirety of the wall behind the Saints, with a giant, rather psychedelic sun emblazoned on it.</p><p>Everything about that little room, including Shaka’s own presence, made Mu wish he could never leave, and instead just lie down on that mattress and forget about the rest of the world.</p><p>The Aries Saint was gazing at seven strange, pretty little metallic bowls in a corner, wondering their purpose, when Shaka’s voice caught his attention.</p><p>“Is my room to your liking?”</p><p> </p><p>Realizing he spent too long admiring the scenery instead of paying attention to his own lover, Mu’s answer was nearly desperate.</p><p>“Of course it is! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so nosy, but-”</p><p>The melodic sound of Shaka’s short laugh replaced Mu’s embarrassment with admiration. Aries looked down to his own teacup, to his faint reflection, trying to not think too much about how absolutely <em>lovely</em> the Virgo Saint looked when he laughed. It was such a rare treat to see him so carefree, Mu couldn’t stop himself from feeling a little prideful for being responsible for it.</p><p>“Nosy, really? How many nights have I spent in the Aries Temple, sleeping and using your room as if it’s my own? And how many times have you been here too, and you <em>still</em> feel ashamed of simply looking at my place?”</p><p>To be fair, being inside of Shaka’s room was a rare thing – for some reason, both Saints got used to spending time together in Mu’s quarters instead, in the few nights they actually slept together. Besides, the Aries Saint never quite had the courage to look around so bluntly, despite how much that decoration fascinated him.</p><p>“My home is <em>your</em> home, my little sunflower” said Shaka, pausing for a sip of tea. “You may do as you please here, even when I’m not around. Just don’t put my gemstones out of their places, please.”</p><p>Mu bit his lip, a deeply pleasant warm feeling flooding his chest. To be held in such high regard by Shaka…</p><p><em>That</em> sort of intimacy was something not even sex could compare to.</p><p>
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</p><p>The Aries Saint was about to drink his tea when he noticed that it was still too hot. Then he watched in horror as Shaka swiftly but elegantly gulped down the rest of that still scalding tea, as if he couldn’t even feel the temperature.</p><p>“So,” said Shaka, setting down his empty teacup, a faint vapor leaving his mouth with his first words. “Would you like to talk about what’s bothering you?”</p><p>Aries frowned, now unable to take his gaze off his own tea. He heard Virgo filling his own cup again.</p><p>“I don’t understand what it is. I know that soon we’ll face another battle, but… I can sense there’s something <em>else</em> wrong. I just can’t tell what’s the problem.” Mu’s grip slightly tensed around his cup. “My heart feels heavy…”</p><p>Shaka’s content expression waned to a neutral, almost concerned one.</p><p>“Shaka,” said Mu, finally daring to look at his lover. “There’s something different even about <em>you</em>. I felt it in your cosmos earlier today, you also seem troubled. Tell me, what’s going on? I’m not just imagining things, am I?”</p><p>The Virgo Saint froze for a moment. Then, a defeated smile broke out, followed by a joyless quiet laugh.</p><p>“You noticed it,” he said then, running a thumb over the edge of his own teacup. Though still affectionate, his voice felt somewhat sour. “I should have imagined you’d be so attuned to my cosmos.”</p><p>“So there really <em>is</em> something wrong,” concluded Mu. “What is going on, Shaka?”</p><p> </p><p>There was a moment of silence. Shaka set down his still full teacup.</p><p>
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</p><p>“I knew this conversation would come one day, but I still chose to cling to the foolish hope that maybe you wouldn’t insist on it. There’s no point in worrying and exhausting yourself trying to see into the future. What’s written in the stars will happen anyways.”</p><p>“You didn’t answer my question, Shaka,” said Aries, as gently as he could. He could tell Shaka was trying to shut down that conversation, and that only intensified his worry. Virgo kept no secrets from Mu… or <em> did </em> he? “Shaka, my love, you know you don’t need to hide anything from me, right?”</p><p>There was another uncomfortable pause. The room was so quiet that Mu could perfectly hear the wind chimes from not so far away, their merry sounds clashing with the tense atmosphere surrounding the Saints.</p><p>
  <em> What are you hiding from me? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Don’t you trust me, my little sun? </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>Deciding his tea’s temperature was now bearable enough, Mu took a long sip of it. He wouldn’t be able to fully relax until he found out what was the problem, but at the same time, he didn’t want to make Shaka further uncomfortable. His lover’s unwillingness to talk only made him <em> more </em> anxious to find out the truth, though.</p><p>He drank slowly, trying to think of a delicate way to get Virgo to talk, until something broke his concentration.</p><p> </p><p>A teardrop fell inside Shaka’s teacup with a low clicking sound, rippling the golden liquid, and Mu immediately regretted his words.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Shaka?” The Aries Saint swiftly put his cup on the stone floor, rushing to the blonde, but not daring to touch him. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Virgo either didn’t pay attention to, or simply chose to ignore the other. Mu was just a few centimeters away from touching him, but he still feared doing it. No matter how much they loved each other, or how intimate they got, Shaka’s almost divine cosmos would always intimidate Mu – and he would never quite see himself as an <em>equal</em> to Virgo.</p><p>Shaka was just too powerful, too otherworldly, too <em>godlike</em>.</p><p>That was one of the many things that made the Aries Saint so enthralled by him in the first place, but stars, what an inconvenience it was on a moment like that.</p><p>He waited for a word, a gesture, any little sign of permission to touch Shaka – but there was nothing. The Virgo Saint didn’t even acknowledge Mu, instead turning his head away to wipe his silent tears. Should Aries say something? Should he just wait for Shaka to say something first? Oh, how much he wanted to wipe those tears instead, and curse himself for ruining their little moment together…</p><p>
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</p><p>“Forgive me, Mu.”</p><p>The Aries Saint could barely believe what he just heard. Shouldn’t <em>he</em> be the one apologizing…?</p><p>“Forgive me,” insisted Shaka. “For all the suffering I brought you. For the suffering I’ll bring you in the future… and for the suffering I’m bringing you right <em>now</em>, making you watch me cry.”</p><p>“What are you talking about, Shaka…? What are you apologizing for?”</p><p>“My love, I pray that the happiness I brought you will be enough to make up for all the pain you’ll endure because of me.”</p><p> </p><p>Aries’ mouth was still agape, as he tried to make sense of Shaka’s words – and also tried to think of anything to say back. Eventually he gave up, as the overwhelming need to comfort his lover surpassed his fear of overstepping boundaries. He moved closer, pulling Shaka into an embrace – as best as he could, with all of that metal between their bodies – being mindful of the sharp horns over his shoulders.</p><p>Virgo not only accepted the gesture, but he also leaned back against Mu, even using one of the horns as support for his head. Even his warmth seemed weaker, like the dying sunlight during dusk, and Mu almost feared it would fade even further.</p><p>“Shaka,” he said. “You don’t have any reason to apologize. You make me the happiest man in the world. What else could I ask for?”</p><p>The answer took long, but it came eventually.</p><p>“A lover that won’t make you cry.”</p><p>
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</p><p>That strange statement was the end of their conversation.</p><p>Mu didn’t want to further press Shaka to talk about something that clearly made him upset, and risk bringing his beloved Saint to tears again. Not <em>right now</em> , though he couldn’t simply let something like that pass so easily. He needed answers, <em>especially</em> after that conversation, but that could wait a little longer.</p><p>Shaka had been also greatly worried about “making him suffer” when they had decided to be together, not so long ago, only because of his celibacy vow – and yet, Mu was fine and <em>perfectly</em> <em>happy</em>, despite how it was indeed difficult to not have a better outlet for his desire for Shaka other than masturbation.</p><p>And so, despite how much Shaka’s words filled him with dread, he still decided to keep up the hope that maybe, only maybe, the Virgo Saint could be a little <em>too worried</em> once again, regardless of whatever he had been even talking about.</p><p>The horrible feeling of approaching tragedy was pushed back to the depths of his mind.</p><p>
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</p><p>In the end, it was still a pleasant day. Especially as, to his great relief, the warmth of Shaka’s cosmos slowly went back to normal, almost reaching the point of being too much – just the way Mu liked it best. The little rogue sparks of energy were gone, even if just for a while, and so, it almost felt like everything was back to normal for once. Almost.</p><p>Mu hadn’t expected Shaka would ask him to <em>stay</em>, though.</p><p>
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</p><p>They rarely slept together. That sort of intimacy was a little too straining for both of them, despite – or rather, exactly <em>because of </em>– how much they enjoyed it. Being so relaxed together, so close, feeling each other’s warmth, scent, gentle touches, slow caresses that denounced a longing for something more… it was more than anyone could handle when there was a celibacy vow at stake.</p><p>A few of their nights spent together would end up with Shaka forcing himself to keep some extra distance from Mu for a while, and with Mu spending varied amounts of time alone in his own room, with the door locked by telekinesis, hoping that no one would bother him. That was enough to discourage Shaka from such a thing, and by consequence, Mu would have no other choice but to stay alone.</p><p>And so, the request picked up Aries’ curiosity – but he didn’t dare to ask about it, fearing that he could somehow make Shaka change his mind about the whole thing. And they would stay at the Virgo temple to make everything even more special… and more curious, at the same time.</p><p>“I think that, from now on,” said Shaka, carefully measuring his words as he sat down on the mattress, having finished brushing his hair, “I would like to spend every night with you.”</p><p>Mu had already made himself comfortable among Shaka’s too many blankets and pillows. It was dark outside, but the room was washed in colorful lights – from the warm tones of candlelight, to the colorful stained glasses that tinted some of those flames. Soft orange tones were predominant, though, intensifying the worn gold and deep reds everywhere, and making Shaka’s gemstones and endless glass decorations sparkle like diamonds infused with gold.</p><p>The room looked lovely, but not as much as the Virgo Saint himself.</p><p>The warm tint from the candlelight fit perfectly on his skin tone, making his body look as hot as it surely would feel from the touch. The occasional flickering of the flames highlighted his features, bringing attention to every detail of his face, to his muscles, everywhere that his deep crimson tunic did not cover. The clothing itself was a spectacle apart, made of a heavy, velvety fabric, with thin golden threads bordering the lower end of it.</p><p>As Shaka would usually wear humble and light-colored clothing that never caught any attention, Mu couldn’t take his gaze off him now. That deep crimson was a strange sight on him, but not in a bad way – it perfectly complimented his molten gold hair. Seen from Mu’s lower angle, bathed in the colors of fire, Shaka looked beyond gorgeous and powerful… He looked <em>regal</em>. Like the Sun itself deciding to manifest in a human shape.</p><p>“As in… sleeping on the same bed?” asked Mu, sitting up, still dazzled by that sight, fearing that Shaka’s words sounded too good to be true.</p><p>In a way, it also felt like Shaka was hiding <em>something</em> important about that innocent suggestion, but the Aries Saint wasn’t in the mood to keep worrying about that kind of thing.</p><p>“As in anything you want to interpret from that sentence. But yes, I would like to sleep in your company. Every night.” Was the room growing warmer or was that just Mu’s imagination? “If you would also like that, of course.”</p><p>“I would love it, Shaka. But are you sure that you… that <em>we</em> can handle it?”</p><p>The Aries Saint couldn’t resist it anymore. He reached out to Shaka, hesitating for a second before touching him, silently asking for permission – to which Shaka answered by leaning against his hand, the corners of his mouth forming a near invisible smile as Mu caressed his face.</p><p>Shaka appeared to be in an… unusually affectionate mood.</p><p>First that request, now this. What was he planning?</p><p>“We’ll leave it for fate to decide.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Mu was glad Shaka kept his eyes closed, or else the Virgo Saint would see his face reddening, as the blonde now held Mu’s hand and covered it in warm kisses.</p><p>“I had never seen you wearing this before,” Aries commented, trying to distract himself from the wonderful feeling of Shaka’s lips against his skin. But focusing on how gorgeous his lover looked in red only made things worse for him. “It’s beautiful… <em>You’re</em> beautiful.”</p><p>“Thank you. It always felt inappropriate to wear something like this, even though it’s the finest clothing I own. Red is a provoking color, after all…”</p><p><em>Indeed it is</em>, Mu thought to himself.</p><p>“It’s perfect for you,” he said, instead, daring to place a hand over Shaka’s chest, feeling the heavy dark fabric as he also dared to approach for a kiss. The tunic had already absorbed some heat from Virgo’s blazing cosmos, and from his own body. Warm and velvety, it invited Mu to keep caressing Shaka’s body; to feel his muscles and curves under that thick crimson cover, and provoke Aries with the knowledge that said fabric was the <em>only</em> thing between his hands and his lover’s body, now that their Cloths had been safely put away.</p><p>As Mu broke their first shy kiss, Shaka didn’t let him part, immediately closing the distance between them once again. The soft, hot pressure of his lips made Mu’s heartbeat increase with anticipation, as it slowly rekindled the flames of desire inside of him. The Virgo Saint repeated the gesture, and Aries understood what he was asking for.</p><p>He took the initiative this time, and Shaka slightly opened his mouth, as he allowed Mu to slip his tongue inside. Shaka had his hands behind Mu’s back, grip tightening around his shirt and hair as Aries dominated his mouth. This time they still remained as close as possible as they parted to catch their breaths, Shaka’s torrid breath making Mu shiver in pleasure.</p><p>Aries didn’t wait another second to dive back into that delicious warmth, feeling cold already, surrendering to Shaka’s burning kiss as the Virgo Saint now slowly took control. His hands trailed down to Shaka’s waist, still gentle, but also so firm now that he was almost groping his lover. A low, short moan escaped from him as he felt Shaka’s sweet, hot tongue pushing their kiss into Aries’ mouth instead.</p><p>Mu still wasn’t done savoring Virgo’s warmth when Shaka pulled away – but not without giving Aries’ lower lip a quick, gentle bite.</p><p>
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</p><p>Only then Mu realized he had went a little too far. He must have got too distracted, or too excited – or <em>both</em> – for a moment freezing in horror as he found out that one of his hands now was <em>under</em> Shaka’s tunic… directly over his bare thigh.</p><p>Remembering the relative prudishness of that night from not too long ago – along with Shaka’s celibacy vow, and most importantly, the fact that his partner happened to be <em>the man closest to God</em>, of all people, the Aries Saint saw no other option but to immediately get up.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he said, with a quick reverence. “Forgive me, Shaka. I shouldn’t have started-- it’ll be better for you if I spend the night at the Aries Temple.”</p><p>Even if Shaka <em>wasn’t</em> upset – as he would be <em>completely right</em> to be – all of… <em>that</em> was too much. To much for Mu to resist his shameful desires. He was about to leave when Shaka reached the door handle first, keeping a hand firmly over it – he hadn’t even noticed Virgo had followed him.</p><p>“Look at me, dear.” The Aries Saint did so, turning around, struggling to raise his shameful gaze to meet Shaka’s closed eyes. “If you truly want to leave, I won’t stop you. But is that what you really want?”</p><p>“I… of course I don’t want to go. But we always stop when one of us goes too far. It’ll be better for you if I just leave… Shaka, your celibacy vow is more important than my pleasure.”</p><p>Shaka let go of the door handle, placing both hands on the wall around Mu, as if the Aries Saint would try to escape.</p><p>“Touch me again.”</p><p>Mu couldn’t dare to do it, even with permission. Even though that was the only thing he <em>wanted</em> to do at the moment.</p><p>“I will be fine,” whispered Shaka, getting even closer, gently kissing Mu’s lips. “I can feel how much you’ve been desiring me over all of the time we’ve been together. You’ve been wonderful to me, my dear, but we’ve neglected <em>your</em> wants for long enough.” Mu couldn’t take it anymore, surrendering to the urge to touch Shaka, shyly placing his hands on Virgo’s waist, but limiting himself to do only that. “If we’re going to sleep together from now on, we need to take care of this first.”</p><p>Slightly encouraged by those words, Mu gingerly pulled Shaka close enough that their bodies pressed against each other. Virgo took the opportunity to kiss him again, inviting Mu to taste him once more – and inciting him to deepen the kiss, and still wish for <em>more</em>.</p><p>Mu’s hands lowered from Shaka’s waist to his hips, in a slow massage. Despite the heavy fabric between them, it was still possible to clearly feel the shape of Shaka’s slim body. Realizing his lover was still insecure, Shaka held one of his hands, slowly guiding it down, slipping it under his own tunic. He made sure Mu would feel and enjoy every part of the process, until Aries’ hand was placed once again on his thigh, exactly where he had first touched it.</p><p>Too distracted by the kisses, more than happy to let Shaka practically devour him, Mu instinctively started caressing his bare thigh, fondling Virgo’s body with increasing passion. Shaka’s body pressed harder against his, and all of the clothing between them did <em>not</em> manage to conceal Mu’s growing arousal – or Shaka’s, for that matter.</p><p>“May I help with this?” The Virgo Saint asked, softly grinding his own body against Mu’s crotch, only to further provoke him.</p><p>“Yes,” Mu managed to say, as Shaka covered his lips in little kisses, apparently not minding that Aries had grown bold enough to also slip the <em>other</em> hand under his robe. “Please…”</p><p> </p><p>Mu couldn’t understand why Shaka grabbed his wrists, and gently removed Aries’ hands from under his clothing, until the Virgo Saint knelt down before him.</p><p>For a moment, he couldn’t even believe his own eyes.</p><p>“Shaka?”</p><p>Mu blushed like he had never done before as Shaka started kissing his lower abdomen, as he slowly pulled down Aries’ pants. His scorching lips over the sensitive skin sent pleasant shivers down Mu’s spine. Shaka’s kisses slowly trailed lower and lower, as he now softly put a hand around his lover’s already fully erect member.</p><p>Shaka begun simply stroking it, slowly, but it was obvious what he was planning to do as, after a moment of hesitation, his hot kisses reached Mu’s cock. The sight alone was enough to almost leave the Aries Saint out of breath, but the way it felt, heavens, it was better than his wildest dreams.</p><p>After enough time steeling himself to do it, Virgo took Mu’s cock inside of his mouth – but only the head, while being excessively careful to not graze his teeth on it. The Aries Saint let out a pleased sigh, leaning his head back, closing his eyes. He made deliberate effort to <em>not</em> move his hips, desperate to have more of that, but staying mindful of Shaka’s comfort.</p><p>Still stroking his length, Shaka kept teasing the head, massaging it with the tip of his tongue, being rewarded with the sweet sound of Mu’s moaning. Soon, he was also licking and kissing, with increasing eagerness. The hot wetness of his mouth, along with the pressure of his thin lips alone would be enough to drive Mu over the edge if he kept that going for long enough.</p><p>Shaka started moving his hand a little faster, immediately getting a slightly louder moan out of Mu. Aries opened his eyes once again, deciding he didn’t want to miss that sight. He put a hand over Shaka’s head, gently petting him, slightly messing up his golden hair – and the Virgo Saint seemed to almost purr under his touch, clearly pleased with the slow caress.</p><p>Seemingly encouraged, Shaka carefully lowered his head, taking more of Mu’s length inside his mouth. Then he slowly started moving up and down, ceasing his hand job, trying to find out how deep he could comfortably go, as even Aries’ own breath was in synchrony with his movements.</p><p>Mu’s considerable size discouraged Shaka from going too far, though, as he now dared to move a little faster. He put his hand around the remaining length once again, compensating with hot, delightful slow strokes where his mouth wouldn’t reach.</p><p>Still, his mouth alone would be enough to drive Mu to delirium.</p><p>The Aries Saint’s moans weren’t so quiet anymore as Shaka pleasured him. He seemingly enjoyed Mu’s taste, his tongue massaging every part of Mu’s cock that he could possibly reach.</p><p>Until Mu had to lean against the wall for support, fingers wrapping around a handful of golden hair, crying out in pleasure as he reached his climax. He heard Shaka moaning adorably, as his mouth was filled with hot, thick spunk. Virgo pulled back, perhaps because he felt his mouth was too full already – but he still stayed close, keeping his mouth open, as if he didn’t want to waste any of it, hand moving still steady until Aries was done.</p><p>When Mu finally returned from his short trip to heaven, he found Shaka licking his own lips, face surprisingly clean, tunic still pristine – much to Aries’ relief, as he’d absolutely feel horrible for… <em>defiling</em> Virgo so much. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling a guilty sort of pleasure as he realized that Shaka had just swallowed every last drop of his load.</p><p>Before he could think of anything to say, still catching his breath, the way Shaka longingly caressed his body caught his attention. And only then he remembered his lover’s situation.</p><p>“Shaka--”</p><p>“I’m fine, my dear” said the Virgo Saint, with a sweet smile. “Come to bed. I can feel this won’t be enough for you.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Mu was mightily confused as he watched Shaka nonchalantly head to the mattress, crimson tunic and golden hair both flowing gorgeously behind him, and only <em>then</em> he understood.</p><p>Although he was spent, the mere sight of Shaka in that flattering clothing was enough to fill his mind with desire again. And his body would soon follow the sweet, vicious call of lust. After all, that brief, wonderful moment of passion alone wouldn’t be enough to relieve <em>years</em> of bottled-up desire. Still, as a testament to his concern for Shaka’s well-being, the Aries Saint did not move.</p><p>“What about you, Shaka?” He asked. “This isn’t fair to you…”</p><p>“If I thought I couldn’t handle this, then I wouldn’t be willing to go on.” There was a brief pause, and Mu’s eyes widened as he realized what Shaka was about to do. “However,” Shaka went on, as he started to undress in a painfully slow – yet delicious to watch – manner. “I’m afraid I can’t resist the urge to indulge in one of my own desires too. Do you mind helping me with it?”</p><p>Mu couldn’t even manage to ask what said desire was. Had Shaka lost his way?</p><p>Taking Aries’ silence as a sign to go on, the Virgo Saint gently let his clothing fall to the side, before elegantly making himself comfortable over his colorful bed – and even with so much on his mind, Mu couldn’t help but notice how perfectly the warm colors complimented Shaka’s naked body. That, along with the candlelight atmosphere, and the soft shadows and even softer fiery hues that tinted Shaka’s skin made Virgo seem almost like a true divinity.</p><p>Even <em>more</em> than that crimson robe ever could.</p><p>And then, there was a sudden contrast to all of those warm colors. The fires of the candles seemed to get higher, hotter, as Shaka opened his eyes, and for a moment, the bright sky blue in them seemed to almost suck out all other colors present. Despite blue being a cool color, Shaka’s gaze <em>burned</em>, not only with his overwhelming blazing cosmos, but also with the flames of love and passion.</p><p>His intense gaze was immediately set upon Mu, and Aries saw that same dangerous, hungry glint in it that he had seen long ago, still during their first night.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Worship me.”</p><p>Before Mu could even realize what he had just heard, Shaka added:</p><p>“Come here, my love, and make yourself comfortable. And praise me.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Shaka’s gentle command made Mu’s heart start beating faster once again, a deeply pleasant warm feeling washing over him. This time, he didn’t feel any shame as he undressed – maybe only a little, but it was completely overshadowed by his strange enjoyment of the situation. Giving some pleasure back to Shaka was a rare opportunity, after all, one Mu would not waste.</p><p>He remembered to untie his hair, letting it free and unruly, and Shaka’s expression hid none of his enjoyment of that sight.</p><p>Shaka’s delight only grew as Mu showed his praise… though kisses all over his body.</p><p>The Virgo Saint watched intently as Aries started out by kissing his delicate feet, while also starting a slow, sweet massage. Without hurry, his hands trailed up to Shaka’s legs, his touch firmer over the calves, making the blonde close his eyes in pleasure for a moment as Mu’s hands made his muscles relax in a manner Virgo hadn’t experienced in a long time.</p><p>Seeing as Shaka apparently liked that, Mu’s caresses grew more intense, lovingly massaging every part of his thighs as he moved up. Shaka’s warmth was matched only by the warmth of Mu’s love, every kiss denouncing more of his adoration for the Virgo Saint. And Shaka relished his praise, in return offering himself for Mu to touch and enjoy as much as he wanted.</p><p>Virgo’s naked body was no strange sight to Mu, considering how many times they had bathed together, but it was the first time Aries actually had a chance to shamelessly observe and touch his lover however he wanted to. And so, Mu took his sweet time to savor the whole experience, and make sure to thank Shaka for that opportunity.</p><p>Shaka’s sun-kissed skin was incredibly soft under Mu’s touch. Aries’ hands, in contrast, were calloused and rough, very noticeably so despite his gentleness – but Shaka didn’t appear to mind it. On the contrary, his gaze had nothing but adoration towards his lover.</p><p>In fact, so much adoration he couldn’t control himself, gently grabbing Mu and pulling him closer – and Mu was so attuned to his partner that he didn’t even need to wait for Shaka to finish pulling him to know exactly what he wanted. And so they shared their warmest kiss so far; hot not only with Shaka’s power, but also with their effervescent passion for each other.</p><p>Mu didn’t only kiss back Virgo – he <em>worshiped</em> Shaka through that kiss, every single motion with the pure intent of pleasing and praising his partner. The Virgo Saint moaned, quivering as he felt the brimming love in Mu’s cosmos, strong enough to overshadow even his own blazing energy for a moment. He wasn’t expecting his lover to fulfill his wish <em>that</em> well…</p><p>He gladly surrendered to Aries. If Mu indeed worshiped him like some sort of divinity, then… then Shaka wanted to serve him like one. Like a god is supposed to serve an adoring mortal.</p><p>As they finally parted, catching their breaths, their gazes met.</p><p>Neither of them had to say anything to tell the other “<em>I love you</em>”.</p><p> </p><p>It was late in the night, but they both felt like they were basking in the summer sun’s glory.</p><p> </p><p>As Mu resumed his praise session, now kissing Shaka’s chest, slowly heading up to his collarbones and neck, his arousal only grew. As he still tenderly caressed Shaka, he took great care to not accidentally move his hand too low on his lover’s body… As he also took care to not pay too much attention to the wonderful sight below – since Virgo’s cock was already as hard as his own.</p><p>He almost bit Shaka as he felt a hot hand around his member, gentle but strong at the same time. Shaka slowly moved his hand through his length, as if greatly enjoying every detail about it.</p><p>Virgo kissed Aries’ cheek, and then got a little closer to whisper on his ear.</p><p>“Worship me,” he sweetly commanded. “Show me how much you want me.”</p><p>Mu wasn’t sure of what exactly Shaka wanted as the blonde started stroking him – but Virgo seemed content enough to just pleasure the Aries Saint, and watch his reaction. However, the way he moved his hand wasn’t that much of a relief – it seemed as if Shaka only wanted to further provoke Mu.</p><p>Struggling to continue his praise, Mu would often stop to avoid being too rough with his kisses, or to close his eyes, holding back a moan, as Shaka pleasured him in a desperately slow manner. Whenever Mu tried to move his hips, and grind against Shaka’s warm hand, the Virgo Saint would simply stop moving, making Aries’s efforts useless. Eventually, it became clear the blonde was indeed only meaning to tease him until he couldn’t take it anymore.</p><p>“Shaka,” Mu whispered, his lips brushing on Shaka’s neck, but he couldn’t even focus enough to kiss him again. “Please…”</p><p>“Yes, my dear?” Shaka said, seemingly trying to hide his amusement.</p><p>“Can you do it faster, please?”</p><p>Shaka entirely stopped moving his hand, but he still kept it around Mu’s cock, as his lover already leaked pre. Aries’ member and Shaka’s own hand were getting slick, and the purple haired Saint had to use all of his willpower to stay still.</p><p>“Please, Shaka…”</p><p>“Tell me, my love. What do you want to do?” Mu only stared back at Shaka, wondering what the other truly wanted to hear. Sky blue eyes stared back at his own with a hint of mischief, but also with endless kindness and tenderness. What was Virgo planning to do now? “Be honest, dear. Aren’t you bored of masturbation?”</p><p>Before Mu could think of anything to say back, Shaka moved, turning around, and now lying on his side, his back facing the Aries Saint… in a very convenient manner for Mu to penetrate him, if so they wished. He turned his head, having to look sideways to see his lover, a rather inviting glimmer in his gaze.</p><p>“Shaka,” Mu nearly stumbled in his words, still not believing what was happening. “Do you want me to…?”</p><p>Slightly spreading his legs, Shaka caressed his own inner thighs. It took Mu a moment to understand he appeared to be – sort of – lubricating them using his precum. Remembering Mu wouldn’t dare to do anything without permission, Shaka closed his legs again, pressing them together, bringing Aries’ attention to his slender, elegant muscles, as he smiled sweetly.</p><p>“Would you like to continue worshiping me?”</p><p>“I… of course, Shaka.”</p><p>He got it now.</p><p>Shaka gave Mu just enough space to slip his dick between his thighs. His still leaking precum, along with Virgo’s previous attempt at lubricating himself, made Shaka’s thighs just slick enough for what Mu was about to do.</p><p>Making himself comfortable, holding on to Shaka, Mu slowly pushed into between his lover’s inner thighs.</p><p>The warmth and softness overwhelmed him for a moment. Realizing Shaka would be okay, since he wasn’t actually <em>inside</em> of the blonde – despite how much it almost felt like so – Mu started to repeat his motions, slowly picking up speed. Stars, that felt <em>good</em>. He avoided going even faster just to not finish too soon, wanting to enjoy that feeling for as long as he could – though given how aroused he was already, that would be a difficult task.</p><p>Virgo watched him with as much curiosity as arousal, his face now blushed.</p><p>Shaka’s thighs were as hot as they were soft, yet firm at the same time. The Virgo Saint had a slender build – but he also wasn’t <em>weak</em>, despite physically being the most fragile of all Gold Saints. His legs were still strong enough to make for a very tight space between them for Mu to use. His muscles were slim and elegant, and Mu couldn’t resist the urge to caress his warm body.</p><p>Shaka softly pressed his legs together, and Mu immediately felt the difference. He gasped with the delicious surprise, grip tightening on Shaka’s hips. The hot pressure around his cock drew the sweetest moans from the Aries Saint. Stars above, that felt simply <em>divine</em>.</p><p><em>Shaka</em> felt divine.</p><p>The blonde appeared to be doing his best to stay still, seemingly enjoying all of that a little too much. The only thing keeping him from having pleasure too was his own willpower, after all. The sounds of Mu’s ragged breath and quiet moans were as adorable as they were arousing, and they only made Shaka’s task of ignoring his own throbbing member even more difficult. The maddening feel in his groin only got more intense, as all he could do was imagine how wonderful it would be to have Mu inside of him. Or the other way around, for that matter.</p><p>Mu went faster, harder – or, at least, as much as he could allow himself to do so, always careful to still be gentle on his partner. Aries was passionate, but never rough, even as he could barely contain himself at that point. The warmth between his body and Shaka’s was nearly unbearable… but in the best possible way.</p><p>He pulled himself even closer to Shaka as he climaxed, still grinding into him, desperately calling his name in delight. Virgo’s inner thighs got coated with cum as hot as his own body. Part of it stained the orange blanket under them – but not as much as Shaka’s own precum did, as it leaked steadily.</p><p>Mu’s now trembling grip around Shaka’s hips finally relaxed as the Aries Saint panted, dazed in bliss. Yet he still had the presence of mind to worry about his partner, forcing himself to snap out of the pleasant stupor that followed his release.</p><p>“Shaka,” Mu said, his voice shaky as he leaned over the other Saint. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Virgo was fine, technically speaking, but his discomfort over his own ignored arousal was clear. He appeared to be doing his best to not start touching himself, scorching cosmos wavering uneasy just like his own emotions.</p><p> </p><p>God, Mu felt so ashamed of himself now. Using Shaka – even though he had permission to do so – and leaving him… like that. He knew the trouble he’d bring to his dearest Saint, and still went on with it.</p><p>His guilty thoughts were erased, though, when Shaka turned around and pulled him into a passionate kiss.</p><p>Somehow, he could tell that the blonde would <em>not</em> like it if he apologized for any of that.</p><p> </p><p>He could almost <em>taste</em> Virgo’s love in that kiss, along with the enthralling natural flavor of his mouth. The reassuring warmth put his mind at ease – despite the lack of relief, Shaka appeared to be perfectly happy with their situation.</p><p>For a second – no, even less than that, – Mu felt a cold sting deep inside of his soul.</p><p>The strange cold was gone as quickly as it had appeared, but it was still enough to startle Aries and make him break their kiss. The room was so warm both Saint were almost sweating, but an uncomfortable chill ran down Mu’s spine as he briefly remembering the icy feeling clutching his heart.</p><p>Shaka seemed completely unaware of it, smiling adorably, sky blue eyes hiding none of his admiration for the Saint he looked at. The pure tenderness in his gaze was enough to melt Mu’s worries like snow crystals under the sunlight – and it brought Aries such overwhelming joy and love that he almost could cry.</p><p>Maybe he would indeed cry, if they stayed like that for another single second.</p><p>He could understand now that Shaka had <em>multiple</em> reasons to keep his eyes closed. They were a window to his soul… and Virgo’s soul was brimming with feelings so intense and pure that a normal human being – even one so attuned to him like Mu – simply couldn’t bear to gaze into that window for too long.</p><p>Shaka was close to divinity, after all.</p><p>Staring into his eyes for too long would probably be as devastating as trying to look at God’s face, despite how benevolent both entities were.</p><p>
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</p><p>And so, despite how wonderful it was to enjoy his intense gaze for a moment, Mu felt almost relieved when Shaka appeared to remember just how dirty both of them were at the moment, thus realizing they’d be better off the sooner they took care of that.</p><p>Being as tidy as he was, Shaka thought it was unacceptable to <em>not</em> have a bath – despite being already fresh out of one – and consequently, he dragged Mu along. Not that the Aries Saint would complain about that…</p><p>He <em>could</em>, however, complain about the water temperature, but given how the night had been centered about his needs and wants, Mu decided to keep his mouth shut in favor of letting Shaka have his way for once. Not that he had too much of a choice, considering his chattering teeth, despite Virgo’s close warmth. At some point he had to excuse himself, and leave Shaka to enjoy his freezing bath all alone.</p><p>One of them would need to take care of that dirty blanket, anyways.</p><p>He did feel a little disappointed for not having the chance to enjoy a more romantic bath, like the very first they had, but now that he thought about it, Shaka had probably orchestrated all of that to have a little alone time. Away from Mu, and with all of his own warmth and <em>not so pure </em>thoughts being absorbed by that icy water.</p><p>Mu’s slight disappointment was turned into relief. Good, it seemed Shaka’s chastity vow would remain intact… that is, if everything they had done so far technically didn’t count as breaking it.</p><p>Shaka took his sweet time purifying his body and mind, though. Mu had already prepared their now clean bed – after trying again and again to replicate Shaka’s organized chaos of blankets and pillows, so different from his own minimalist style, until he felt the result was up to his partner’s preferences.</p><p>And then he waited, lying down on his proud work, hoping to see if Shaka would be pleased with it before they messed it up again by getting under said blankets. Some candles had already burned out, dimming the bedroom light to a comfortable – but not overwhelming – darkness. Mu would have no trouble falling asleep after everything they had done, but he still felt it would be rude to not wait for Shaka.</p><p>He closed his eyes for a moment.</p><p>
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</p><p>When he opened them once again, the room was bright not with candlelight, but with <em>sunlight</em>. Despite the confusion, Mu didn’t need more than a second to realize what had happened. A smile graced Mu’s sleepy face as the he pulled himself even closer to the Virgo Saint who embraced him, hugging back Shaka. A soft, heavy blanket kept both Saints pleasantly warm, most of it, though, thanks to the power of Virgo’s cosmos even on his resting state.</p><p>Shaka’s warmth was comforting just like the morning sun outside, and so gentle that Mu thought he was still asleep. And so he closed his eyes again, knowing both should probably get out of bed soon and go back to their Saint duties, but still choosing to enjoy that quiet moment for a while. Due to the cheerful symphony of birds outside, Mu concluded it was still fairly early in the morning. Staying just a little longer on bed for one day wouldn’t hurt…</p><p>He felt Shaka moving slowly, and greeting him with a kiss on the forehead before returning back to his place, seemingly also unwilling to break their embrace so soon.</p><p>Maybe they could get away with it. Just another hour or two… it felt only fair after everything they had done last night.</p><p> </p><p>If there was any reason to be on guard, after all, Mu’s sharp intuition would warn him of it.</p><p>And then it hit him again.</p><p>
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</p><p>That pesky feeling that had been occasionally ruining his sleep for the past few days. The same feeling that made him seek comfort in Shaka’s presence on the past day – and created that strange conversation they had while drinking tea… that ended up with Shaka crying.</p><p><em>Something is wrong</em>, his intuition whispered to him again.</p><p>Mu hoped, prayed, that somehow he was just being paranoid. Poseidon’s sudden awakening not too long ago – and the knowledge that other foes would come soon – was probably the source of that anxiety. Who would <em>not</em> be on edge in a situation like that?</p><p>Yes. That had to be it.</p><p>The happy chirping of the birds outside along with the soothing tunes of Shaka’s wind chimes helped bring some peace of mind back to him. It was early in the morning. He was resting in the arms of his loved one. Why should he worry about anything at that moment?</p><p>Relaxing once again, Mu snuggled into his lover’s embrace.</p><p>Fate and the gods could throw anything they wanted at the Saints. As long as Shaka remained by his side, Mu had nothing to fear.</p><p>
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</p><p>There was no reason to worry, the Aries Saint decided.</p><p>And so, he felt safe enough to address one thing that had disturbed him so much on the last afternoon.</p><p> </p><p>“Shaka,” he said, softly, reaching a strand of Virgo’s molten gold hair. “May I ask you something?”</p><p>Shaka’s lips turned into a small smile as Mu started playing with his hair.</p><p>“You may ask me anything you wish, my dear.”</p><p>Despite the reassuring tone, and the even more reassuring morning sun warmth that emanated from Shaka’s cosmos, Mu still had to take a moment to gather the courage to touch upon that subject.</p><p>“Why did you cry yesterday?”</p><p>Shaka’s smile disappeared instantly.</p><p>
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</p><p>There was an uncomfortable pause. The birds and the wind chimes outside continued their happy melodies, making the silence inside of the Virgo Temple feel even more disturbing.</p><p>When Shaka finally spoke again, his tone was grave and devoid of all warmth.</p><p>“I suppose I’ve been keeping you in the dark for too long already.” He sighed, before adding, in a much softer voice: “Please, love. Are you sure that’s what you want to ask me?”</p><p>Letting go of Shaka’s hair, Mu started petting his face instead.</p><p>“Shaka… my dearest little sun. I don’t know what troubles you so much, but I won’t let you carry this burden alone. So please, tell me what’s wrong. I’ll be by your side no matter what. We’ll face this together, both as Saints and as lovers.”</p><p>Shaka held Mu’s wrist, forcing him to cease his caresses.</p><p>“No. We won’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Before Mu could question that, Shaka said one more thing that made the Aries Saint too shocked to even speak again.</p><p>
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</p><p>“I foresaw my death.”</p>
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